HRT ads built trust, but breast cancer diagnoses changed opinions
The advertisements no longer blanket magazines or fill television screens, but the message cannot be deleted. Over the years, millions of women were told that estrogen loss during menopause could be dangerous to their health, contributing to problems such as osteoporosis, heart disease, colon cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, tooth loss and blindness. It could also cause uncomfortable symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness and mood swings. The ads said menopause was a nasty disease that could be eliminated by just taking a once-daily pill, a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) that would help women feel like women again.